Areas of Practice
Agricultural Business Law | Corporate, Commercial & Contract Law | Tax Planning | Tax Litigation | Wills & Estate Planning
Legal Assistant:
Michelle Dogniez
Profile:
Amanda is a partner with Stevenson Hood Thornton Beaubier LLP in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She has completed Parts I, II and III of the Chartered Professional Accountants Canada, In-Depth Tax Course and holds a Masters (Tax Law) from York University. Amanda has over a decade of experience in acting as counsel in disputes with Canada Revenue Agency on matters of income tax, GST, and employment insurance matters, and she has appeared in front of the Tax Court of Canada, and also the Saskatchewan Provincial Court (with respect to criminal tax evasion matters). Amanda has also successfully represented numerous taxpayers in connection with applications for rectification and remission.
Amanda received her Trust and Estate Practitioner Designation in 2018. In addition to her litigation practice, Amanda provides counsel in connection with complex estate planning matters. This includes corporate reorganizations, strategic planning with owner-manager businesses to assist in transition and succession of the business enterprise and working with high-net worth business families to resolve and negotiate disputes. In addition, Amanda works regularly with clients to coordinate their estate planning across various countries.
Amanda taught Wills & Estates at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law for many years and was the winner of the Provost’s College Award for Teaching Excellence in 2018. She was the founding chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation’s Young Practitioner group in Saskatoon and is a former Adviser to the Canadian Tax Foundation Board of Governors. She is currently the Chair for the Saskatchewan Chapter of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
In 2020, Amanda launched The Tax Chick Blog and The Tax Chick Podcast, each aimed at educating audiences about tax and estate planning issues. Both the blog and podcast allow her to take part in curious conversations, learn new things while educating others, and laugh.
In addition to The Tax Chick Podcast, Amanda has appeared as a guest on The Life Resume podcast, Lawyerpreneur Podcast, Fit to Practice Podcast, Organized Jane Podcast, and Mind Your Biz Podcast. She has also appeared as a guest on SiriusXM Canada Talk (Moolala Podcast) and has been featured on CBC News. She was also a co-author of the Amazon best-selling book, “Pursuit:365”, a book celebrating Canadian women in the pursuit of happiness, success and fulfillment.
Amanda has been selected by peers as a leading practitioner in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions of The Canadian Legal Lexpert ® (Estate and Personal Tax Planning) and was the winner of the Lawyers Monthly Women in Law Award for 2021, 2022 and 2023 in recognition of her outstanding legal expertise and contribution to the area of tax litigation. In addition, Amanda has been recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™ for her work in Tax Law.
Education:
Osgoode Hall Law School (York University), Professional LLM (Tax Law) (2017)
Chartered Professional Accountants Canada, In-Depth Tax Course (Parts I, II and III)
2012 Tax Law for Lawyers Conference
Admitted to the Saskatchewan Bar (2008)
Bachelor of Laws with Great Distinction, University of Saskatchewan (2007)
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) with Great Distinction, University of Saskatchewan (2004)
Awards & Distinctions:
STEP Canada – Winner of Best Article from 2021 STEP Inside (2022)
STEP Canada – Winner of Highest Rated Session from 2021 STEP Canada National Conference (2022)
Leading Practitioner (Estate and Personal Tax Planning), The Canadian Legal Lexpert ® (2021 and 2022)
Lawyers Monthly Women in Law Award (Tax Litigation) (2021 and 2022)
Best Newsletter Article Written by a Young Practitioner Award (Canadian Tax Foundation) (2018)
Provost’s College Award for Teaching Excellence for the College of Law (2018)
Finalist, Year 3 Project Award, Chartered Professional Accountants Canada, In-Depth Tax Course (2015)
Cam Partridge Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award (2010)
Law Society of Saskatchewan Silver Medal (2007)
Ron Fritz Prize in Law (2007)
Donald Alexander McNiven Prize (2007)
William Elliott Scholarship (2004)
Seminars, Presentations and Publications:
Amanda S.A. Doucette, Kirsten Jenkins, “Privacy Issues for Fiduciaries”, (STEP National Conference, June 2023).
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Estate Planning Across Jurisdictions” (STEP Saskatchewan Chapter, February 2023).
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Choose Your own Adventure – discussing the various remedies available for taxpayer issues” (ATAP, Tax Update Seminar, January 2023).
Amanda S.A. Doucette and Jos Herman, “The Estate Planning Toolkit – the importance of collaboration amongst advisors” (Small Practitioners’ Forum, October 2022).
Amanda S.A. Doucette, Mehul Gandhi, and John Schappert, “Best Practices in Estate and Succession Planning” (CPA The One Conference, virtual, September 2022).
Amanda S.A. Doucette and Tracy L. Duff, “A Collaborative Planning Approach to Estate Planning. How does it all work?” (Advocis Saskatchewan, April 2023).
Amanda S. A. Doucette, Dr. Carole Cohen, and Ann Soden, “A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Issues Faced by Vulnerable Clients” (STEP Canada National Conference, June 2022)
Amanda S. A. Doucette, Richard Niedermayer, and Rhonda Johnson, “Gift Wrapping: The Pros and Cons of Inter Vivos Gifts: (STEP Canada National Conference, June 2021)
Regular Contributor, STEP Inside (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)
Amanda S.A. Doucette and Lee Braaten, “A Primer on the Taxation of Shareholders and Directors”, Prairie Provinces Tax Conference, Canadian Tax Foundation, 2018.
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Make Voluntary Disclosures Before March 2018?”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 8, No. 1, February 2018.
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Voluntary Disclosure Program Cut Back”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 7, Number 3, August 2017
Amanda S.A. Doucette and Britney Wangler, “Normal Borrowing by CCPC Owners can Create an Income Inclusion”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 7, Number 1, February 2017
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “SCC Upholds Third-Party Civil Penalties”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 5, Number 3, August 2015
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “The Budget Proposal on Alternative Arguments: Too Broad?”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 5, Number 3, August 2015
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Filing a Notice of Objection Could Result in Increased Assessed Tax Payable”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 4, No. 4, November 2014
Amanda S.A. Doucette and Jayson Peace, “Best Practices for People who are Practising Tax”, Prairie Provinces Tax Conference, Canadian Tax Foundation, 2014
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Remission Order Advances Payment of BlackBerry Refund”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 4, No. 2, May 2014
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Rectification in Quebec”, Canadian Tax Highlights, Volume 22, No. 2, February 2014
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Conocophillips Canada: The Jurisdictional Obstacle Course”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 4, No. 1, February 2014
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Rectification: Judicial Shift”, Canadian Tax Highlights, Volume 21, No. 4, April 2013
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “”Advisor Penalties Revived by FCA”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 3, No. 3, August 2013
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Advisor Penalties Derailed by TCC”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 2, No. 4, November 2012
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Abolishing Perpetuities and Accumulations in Saskatchewan”, Estates, Trusts and Pensions Journal, Volume 31, No. 3, May 2012
Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Reliance on the Minister’s Reply in a Tax Court Appeal”, Canadian Tax Focus, Volume 1, No. 3, November 2011
Beaty F. Beaubier, Michael J. Deobald, Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Some Do’s and Don’ts in Documenting Transactions and Fixing Mistakes”, Prairie Provinces Tax Conference, Canadian Tax Foundation, 2010
Beaty F. Beaubier and Amanda S.A. Doucette, “Resignation, Removal and Replacement of Executors and Trustees – A Saskatchewan Perspective”, Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal, Volume 28 (2009)
Memberships and Associations:
Chair, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Saskatchewan Chapter
Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Deputy Chair, Public Policy Committee, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
YP Advisor, Canadian Tax Foundation Board of Governors (2016-2018)
Chair and Founder, Saskatoon YP Tax Group (2016-2018)
Past-President, Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan
Member, Law Society of Saskatchewan
Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association